Recombined whole grain wheat having visually indistinguishable particulate matter and related baked products

ABSTRACT

A recombined whole grain flour for use in preparing whole grain products such that whole grain particulates provide minimal visual impact to the whole grain product. By selectively controlling the particle size of the milled bran and germ constituents used in the recombined whole grain flour, the visual and color impact associated with bran and germ particulates can be substantially eliminated from the whole grain product. In particular, whole grain products such as whole grain breads, dough products, mixes and biscuits can be made with recombined whole grain flour. Whole grain products made with recombined whole grain flour are advantageous in that they incorporate the health advantages associated with whole grains while eliminating the characteristic, visual color differences noticeable within a whole grain crumb due to visually identifiable bran and germ particulates found in traditional whole grain products.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 60/800,951 filed May 17, 2006 and entitled, “RECOMBINED WHOLEGRAIN WHEAT HAVING VISUALLY INDISTINGUISHABLE PARTICULATE MATTER ANDRELATED BAKED PRODUCTS”, which is herein incorporated by reference tothe extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to baking products with whole grains.The invention relates more particularly to whole grain products madewith recombined whole grain flour.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For centuries, grains have been grown and harvested as one of the mostbasic food staples. Grains including corn, wheat, durum, rye, oats andothers are traditionally ground into flour for use as the main buildingblock for making a variety of baked goods, including breads, pastas,tortillas and dessert items.

Regardless of the grain type, the individual grain kernels comprise afibrous exterior shell referred to as bran, an interior starch portioncalled the endosperm, and a nutrient-rich core called the germ. Duringmilling of the grain kernels, processes can be used to separate andremove the bran and germ from the endosperm resulting in a refined grainthat is almost pure starch. While refined grains have advantages such asappearance and consistency, health studies have suggested that dietshigh in starches, like those from refined grains, play a role in certainunhealthy conditions, such as, obesity, heart disease and diabetes amongothers. Conversely, many of these same studies have indicated that theuse of whole grains or grains that contain the entire kernel, includingthe bran, endosperm and germ, promote certain health advantages.

One reason suggested for the health advantages associated with wholegrains is that the bran and germ are both nutrient-rich portions of thegrain kernel and include concentrated portions of essential vitamins andnutrients. Further, the fibrous make-up of bran provides an excellentsource of dietary fiber. Studies have shown that diets rich in wholegrains can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certaincancers. Furthermore, other studies have suggested that individuals whoconsume whole grains tend to eat less, and as a consequence, may weighless or lose weight.

While the use of whole grains in baking provides numerous healthbenefits, the use of whole grains can lead to a significant differencein appearance compared to traditional white breads made with refinedwheat. In particular, the use of whole grains in baking products canresult in visual particulate matter that is visible and distinguishablein the final baked product due to color and size differences between thebran, endosperm and germ. To the consumer, the presence of visualparticulate matter and color differences may be less preferred than, forexample, refined, white-style bread, which tends to have very uniformcolor and generally no visible particulates.

Due to the specific health benefits associated with bran consumption, itmay be desired to provide a bran fortified whole grain for use inpreparing whole grain products. However, bran generally makes up themajority of the visual particulate matter in whole grains, such that, abran fortified whole grain can have significantly larger amounts ofvisible particulate matter making the bran fortified whole grainvisually less preferred than a non-fortified whole grain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention addresses the aforementioned needs of providing a wholegrain product comprising recombined whole grain constituents that arerecombined so as to provide minimal visual impact to the whole grainproduct. By selectively controlling the particle size of the milled branand germ constituents used in the recombined whole grain, the visualimpact associated with bran and germ particulates can be substantiallyeliminated from the recombined whole grain. In particular, presentlycontemplated embodiments can comprise a whole grain product, such as,whole grain breads, dough products, mixes and biscuits made withrecombined whole grain flour. Representative embodiments of recombinedwhole grain products contemplated by the present disclosure areadvantageous in that they incorporate the health advantages associatedwith whole grains while eliminating the characteristic, visual colordifferences noticeable within the crumb due to particulates, such as,bran and germ particulates found in traditional whole grain products.

Within the scope of the disclosure, recombining whole grain constituentsthat have been milled to desired particle sizes, have been found toproduce a whole grain flour wherein particulate matter, such as, forexample, bran particulates and germ particulates, have little to novisual impact on the overall appearance of the recombined whole grainflour. When milled bran and germ particulate matter is present in a sizerange of about 0.006 inches to about 0.017 inches, the milled bran andgerm particulate matter has been found to have minimum particulatevisibility against the majority endosperm background of a baked good. Inan alternative embodiment, the bran and/or germ particulate matter canbe present in a size range from about 0.007 inches to about 0.015inches. Particulate matter can comprise bran particulate matter and/orgerm particulate matter.

In one aspect, the disclosure is directed to representative embodimentsof whole grain baked products made with recombined whole grain flour.Presently contemplated whole grain flour based baked products cancomprise bread, biscuits, bagels, bread sticks, buns, cakes, rolls,English muffins, pizza crust, tortillas, pancakes, waffles, battered andbreaded products, such as, for example, corn dogs and breadedvegetables, cookies, soft and hard pretzels, crackers and the like. Therecombined whole grain based baked products can comprise products in avariety of states, such as, for example, raw, partially or par-baked,pre-baked, fresh baked and shelf-stable baked products. In somerepresentative embodiments, these recombined whole grain products cansubsequently be refrigerated and/or frozen for use and/or storage.

In another aspect, the disclosure relates to embodiments of a non-fullybaked, recombined whole grain dough, e.g., a raw or par-baked recombinedwhole grain dough, made with recombined whole grain flour. Therecombined whole grain dough can be freshly prepared for immediate useor can comprise a frozen or refrigerated recombined whole grain doughfor use at a time subsequent to dough preparation. Representativerecombined whole grain dough products can comprise pizza crust dough,bread dough, cake dough, roll dough, biscuit dough and bread stickdough.

In another aspect, the disclosure relates to embodiments of a recombinedwhole grain baking mix made with recombined whole grain flour forpreparing whole grain baked products having little to no visibleparticulate matter. The recombined whole grain baking mix can comprise asubstantially anhydrous complete mix requiring only the addition of atleast one liquid or wet ingredient, such as, for example, water, oiland/or eggs, or a concentrated mix or premix comprising one or morefunctional ingredients blended into an amount of recombined whole grainflour requiring the addition of bulk ingredients, such as, for example,a bulk portion of recombined whole grain flour at a time of preparation.Concentrated mixes or premixes can be formulated to include any numberof functional ingredients based upon a desired level of completeness bya user of such concentrated mix or premix, which is frequently acommercial bakery or food service group. Representative recombined wholegrain mixes, in either a complete or concentrated mix/premix cancomprise mixes for bread dough, pizza crust, cakes, brownies, cookies,pancake batter, muffins as well as variety baking mixes, such as, forexample, Bisquick® mix.

In another aspect, the disclosure relates to partially baked or“par-baked” whole grain products made with recombined whole grain flour.Generally, the par-baked whole grain product requires an additionalthermal processing step, such as, for example, heating, baking, frying,microwaving and the like, to achieve a fully baked format.

In another aspect, representative methods for preparing a recombinedwhole grain baked product can comprise milling bran and germ particulatematter to desired particle sizes so as to reduce and/or substantiallyeliminate the visual impact of the particulate matter within therecombined whole grain baked product. The recombined whole grain bakedproducts achieve commonly accepted standards for whole grain bakedproducts including Baked Specific Volume, slice height, symmetry andcell structure.

In another aspect, a representative embodiment of a whole grain bakedproduct can comprise an amount of recombined whole grain flour so as toachieve recommended whole grain levels as suggested and promulgated bythe Whole Grains Council of Boston, Mass. For instance, whole grainbaked products of the present disclosure can comprise levels ofrecombined whole grain flour in an amount satisfying the “Good Source”standard of at least 8 grams of whole grains per serving. Alternatively,the whole grain baked products can comprise levels of recombined wholegrain flour in an amount satisfying the “Excellent Source” standard ofat least 16 grams of whole grains per serving. Finally, the whole grainbaked products can comprise recombined whole grain flour satisfying the“100% Whole Grain” standard wherein all of the grains are whole grains.In some embodiments, recombined whole grain flour can comprise 100% ofthe total whole grains within the whole grain baked product.

In another aspect, whole grain constituents can be recombined so as toform fortified versions of recombined whole grain flour. For example, abran fortified whole grain flour can be prepared through the addition ofmilled bran in amounts exceeding the level of bran typically found inwhole grain flour. In addition to adding milled bran, milled germ can beadded either individually or in combination with the milled bran to forma germ or bran/germ fortified whole grain flour.

As used throughout the present disclosure, “recombined whole grainproduct” refers to whole grain products, such as, but not limited to,biscuits, bagels, bread sticks, buns, cakes, rolls, English muffins,pizza crust, tortillas, pancakes, waffles, batter-based products,breaded products, cookies, soft pretzels, hard pretzels and crackers,that are formulated using a fortified or non-fortified recombined wholegrain flour.

As used throughout the present disclosure, the term “fortified” isintended to refer to the addition of one or more components that aregenerally already present within whole grain flour beyond the levelsgenerally attributed to milling of a whole grain. One representativeexample can include a bran fortified recombined whole grain flour wherethe amounts of bran added during a recombination step can exceed thelevels of bran that would be present from simply milling the wholegrain. In addition, recombined whole grain flour according to thepresent disclosure can be fortified with increased amount of germ,either individually or in combination with bran.

As used throughout the present disclosure, the term “recombined” isintended to describe the reintegration of individual grain componentssuch as, for example, endosperm, bran and germ, into an integral, wholegrain flour. The individual grain components can be previously separatedfor any of a variety of reasons including for individual milling of branand/or germ to desired particle sizes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure may be more completely understood in consideration of thefollowing detailed description of various representative embodiments ofthe invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a representative depiction of a section view of a grainkernel.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a representative milling processfor milling a refined, wheat flour.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a representative milling processfor milling a whole grain wheat flour.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a representative milling processfor milling a whole grain wheat flour having particulate matter that isvisually indistinguishable to an unassisted eye.

While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternativeforms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in thedrawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood,however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to theparticular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appendedclaims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In representative embodiments of the invention as disclosed herein,whole grain baked products and related whole grain products arecomprised of recombined whole grain flour. Representative embodiments ofrecombined whole grain flour comprise individually milled and recombinedportions of endosperm, bran and germ, wherein the bran portion and/orgerm portions are milled to have particle sizes within a desiredparticle size range wherein the desired particle size range has beenfound to minimize the visual and color impact of the bran and/or germwithin the recombined whole grain flour. In some embodiments, the branand/or germ portions can be milled to have particle sizes from about0.006 inches to about 0.017 inches. In another representativeembodiment, the bran and/or germ portions can be milled to have particlesizes from about 0.007 inches to about 0.015 inches. An embodiment ofthe whole grain baked products and related products can be formulatedsuch that the recombined whole grain flour comprises from about 0.1% toabout 100% of the farinaceous content. In another alternativeembodiment, the whole grain baked products and related products can beformulated such that recombined whole grain baked products can comprisea good source of whole grain providing at least 8 grams of whole grainper serving. In another alternative embodiment, the whole grain bakedproducts and related products can be formulated, such that, therecombined whole grain baked products comprise an excellent source ofwhole grain providing at least 16 grams of whole grain per serving.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a grain kernel 100 comprises a hard outershell called bran 102, a nutrient-rich core called germ 104 and aninterior starch portion called endosperm 106. Grain kernel 100 isrepresentative of differing grain varieties, such as, for example, wheatkernels (including spring and winter wheat, as well as, varietiesincluding red, white, spelt, emmer, faro, einkorn, Kamutg, and durum),amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn (including whole cornmeal andpopcorn), millet, oats, quinoa, rice (including brown and colored rice),rye, sorghum, teff, triticale and wild rice. When grain kernel 100comprises a wheat kernel, bran 102 generally comprises about 14.5% byweight of the kernel, germ 104 generally comprises about 2.5% by weightof the kernel and endosperm 106 generally comprises the balance or about83% by weight of the kernel. As will be understood by one of skill inthe art, the amounts of bran 102, germ 104 and endosperm 106 will varyaccording to the grain type.

In a conventional milling operation 108 as schematically illustrated inFIG. 2, grain kernel 100 can be milled to form refined flour 110. In itsmost basic form, milling operation 108 can comprise a grain cleaningstep 112, a grain conditioning step 114, a grain grinding step 116, agrain sifting step 118 and a grain purifying step 120. When makingrefined flour 110, grain purifying step 120 is followed by a bleachingstep 122 and an enrichment step 124.

Within grain cleaning step 112, a variety of processes can be utilizedto separate the grain from foreign materials. Representative cleaningtechniques can comprise the use of magnetic separators, vibratoryscreens, air aspirators, de-stoning machines, disc separators, scourers,used individually or in suitable combinations.

Within grain conditioning step 114, a variety of processes can beutilized to prepare the grain for grinding. Representative conditioningprocesses can include a tempering process and an impact scouring step,applied individually or in combination.

Within grain grinding step 116, grain kernel 100 is gradually reduced toa smaller, desired flour size by passing size graded kernels andmiddlings through rollers adjusted to break the grain kernel 100 intothe bran 102, germ 104 and endosperm 106. Representative rolleradjustments can include roller positioning, roller speed and selectionof the rolling surface.

Within grain sifting step 118, the ground bran 102, germ 104 andendosperm 106 can be shaken and separated within a series of box-likesifters having screens with openings that get sequentially smaller andsmaller. Generally, large particles are shaken and removed from a topsifter while the finest particles or flour sift to the bottom.

Within grain purifying step 120, the ground bran 102 is lifted andseparated from germ 104 and endosperm 106 by a controlled air stream.The remaining germ 104 and endosperm 106 can then be passed through aseries of break rolls wherein germ 104 is flattened for easierseparation and the endosperm 106 is ground into flour.

Within bleaching step 122, the flour consisting essentially of groundendosperm 106 is exposed to a bleaching-maturing agent, such as, forexample, chlorine gas or benzoyl peroxide, to both whiten the flour andmature or oxidize the flour to improve the baking characteristics of theflour.

Within enrichment step 124, a measured quantity of enrichmentcomponents, such as, for example, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, iron,folic acid, leavening agent, salt and calcium, are added to thewhitened/matured flour.

In a whole grain milling operation 126 as schematically illustrated inFIG. 3, grain kernel 100 can be milled to form whole grain flour 128.Whole grain milling operation 126 similarly comprises grain cleaningstep 112, grain conditioning step 114, grain grinding step 116, grainsifting step 118 and grain purifying step 120. Following grain purifyingstep 120, a reconstituting step 130 blends back the separated portionsof the grain kernel 100, for example, the milled bran, germ andendosperm to form whole grain flour 128. Through the use ofreconstituting step 130, whole grain flour 128 can be stabilized. Inaddition, whole grain milling operation 126 can comprise one or moreheat treating steps so as to further stabilize the bran and/or germ.

When milled with whole grain milling operation 126, whole gain flour 128includes visual particulate matter that is viewable and distinguishableby an unassisted eye in baked products made with the whole grain flour128 due to color differences between the bran 102, germ 104 andendosperm 106. To the consumer, the presence of visual particulatematter within a final baked product can be less preferred than thegenerally visually homogenous appearance of baked products made withrefined flour 110.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, a milling recombination process 132 of theinvention for milling grain kernel 100 to form a substantially visuallyhomogenous whole grain flour 134 resembles whole grain milling operation126 with the further inclusion of a particulate grinding step 136.Within particulate grinding step 136, bran 102 and germ 104 which,generally comprise the visually distinguishable particulate matter inwhole grain flour 128, are ground to a desired particle size that hasbeen surprisingly found to provide a visually indistinguishablehomogenous appearance when viewed with the unassisted eyed to bakedproducts made with whole grain flour 134. More specifically, bran 102and germ 104 are milled in the particulate grinding step 136 so as tohave a selected particle size in a range from about 0.006 inches toabout 0.017 inches, which has been surprisingly found to limit theunassisted eye to distinguish bran 102 and germ 104 from the backgroundof the majority milled endosperm 106. More preferably, bran 102 and germ104 can be milled to have particle sizes ranging from about 0.007 inchesto about 0.015 inches.

Referring to Table 1 below, milling recombination process 132 wassimulated on a conventional red wheat grain to confirm particle sizeranges for bran 102 that provided a grain flour and resulting bakedproduct in which the bran 102 is visually indistinguishable from themajority endosperm 106 background. As illustrated in Table 1, millingrecombination process 132 was simulated using 6 different particleranges for bran 102, with the resulting flour and baked products beingcompared against one another in addition to being compared withconventional milled non-whole red wheat brans.

TABLE 1 Comparison of baked products produced from recombined flourhaving bran particles milled to a specified size range. Size BranParticulate “L” “A” “B” Size Range measure- measure- measure- Bran Style(inches) ment ment ment Coarse Bran Variable with >45% 70.07 4.02 14.89by weight larger than 0.041 Medium Bran Variable with >6% 63.65 4.2315.69 by weight larger than 0.041 Red Bran 0.033-0.059 65.92 5.51 16.30Red Bran 0.017-0.033 63.86 5.90 16.05 Red Bran 0.009-0.017 62.63 5.7516.53 Red Bran 0.007-0.009 64.99 4.50 17.71 Red Bran 0.006-0.007 63.205.22 17.47 Red Bran <0.006 66.98 4.35 17.73

Each sample was individually evaluated with respect to the color or“lightness” of the bread produced with the different bran particlesizes. For many consumers, particularly children, lightness is generallyassociated with taste and a light or white-like appearance for theinternal crumb is generally preferred. The internal crumb color ofbreads can be objectively measured using standard techniques known toone in the art such as, for example, using a Minolta Chroma Meteravailable from the Minolta Corporation of Ramsey, N.J., to measure thereflective color of a surface. Using the Minolta Chroma Meter, theappearance of the different bread products were measured using the L*a*bcolor scale, wherein “L*” corresponds to a lightness measurement basedon a black to white scale, “a*” corresponds to measurements on a red togreen scale and “b*” corresponds to measurements on a blue to yellowscale. Generally, it has been found that bread products having increased“L*” measurements, reduced “a*” measurements and increased “b*”measurements are most preferred as consumers tend to associate suchreadings with conventional white breads. In addition to measuring crumbcolor, each of the breads products was visually compared using anunassisted eye to compare the various bran particle size ranges withrespect to visibility of the bran particles against the crumb (milledendosperm and germ) background.

In comparing bran visibility against the crumb background, it wasdetermined that the bread products prepared from recombined flour havingbran particles milled to a range of 0.006 inches to 0.017 inches had theleast amount of visible contrast between the bran particles and thecrumb without adversely affecting background color.

In some embodiments, milling recombination process 132 can furthercomprise a bran fortification step 138 and/or a germ fortification step140 as illustrated in FIG. 4 for forming a bran fortified whole grainflour 142, a germ fortified whole grain flour 144 or a bran and germfortified whole grain flour 146. In milling recombination process 132,bran 102 and/or germ 104 that has been milled to the desiredadvantageous particle size range can be added to the endosperm 106 inamounts exceeding the typical amounts of bran 102 and/or germ 104 foundin the grain kernel 100, such as, for example, adding bran 102 such thatthe amount of bran 102 in whole grain flour 134 exceeds 14.5% by weightof a whole wheat flour made according to the milling recombinationprocess 132. Accordingly, germ 104 can be added in amounts such thatgerm 104 exceeds 2.5% by weight of a whole wheat flour made according tothe milling recombination process 132.

Whole grain flour 134 can be used within a variety of baked products andrelated products. For example, whole grain flour 134 can be used in thepreparation of whole grain baked products, such as, for example, breadsand whole grain biscuits having cross-sectional slices displaying aconsistent, homogeneous color and visual appearance. In another example,whole grain flour 134 can be used in baking kits, such as, anhydrousmixes requiring the addition of wet ingredients, such as, for example,water, oil, eggs the like, or in bulk concentrate mixes or premixesrequiring additional bulk ingredients prior to baking. Whole grain flour134 can be used in preparing baking dough, such as, frozen dough,refrigerated dough and fresh dough. Whole grain flour 134 can also beused in the preparation of partially-baked or “par-baked” products thatrequire baking to completion prior to consumption. In addition, wholegrain flour 134 can be used in the preparation of “stiff” dough for usein crackers and pretzels. While the use of whole grain flour 134 isspecifically described, it will be understood that bran fortified wholegrain flour 142, germ fortified whole grain flour 144 and bran and germfortified whole grain flour 146 can be utilized instead of or inconjunction with whole grain flour 134.

As described throughout the specification, the attainment of certaindough characteristics are more important in some doughs than in others,and depend largely on the intended end use of the dough product. It willbe understood that the term dough as used through the presentspecification applies equally to refrigerated, raw dough products thatare formed as either a developed dough or an undeveloped dough.Developed dough is that in which a protein or gluten network has beenmore or less fully formed or created. Representative examples ofdeveloped doughs can include dough for breads, bagels, croissants orrolls. Undeveloped dough is that in which, the gluten network is notfully developed. One representative example of an undeveloped dough isbiscuit dough and batters.

Dough formulations, and the ingredients they contain, can differdepending on the finished product that is obtained from the dough.However, most doughs generally have a number of ingredients in commonand examples of some such common ingredients are described andillustrated in more detail below.

The dough formulation and products as described herein, generallycontain an amount of whole grain flour 134 constituent that contributesto the structure of the dough. The whole grain flour 134 provides thedietary benefits associated with consumption of whole grains. Asdescribed herein, whole grain baked products, mixes and dough, ascontemplated by the present disclosure comprise at least about 15% wholegrain flour 134 within the flour constituent. In some contemplatedembodiments, whole grain baked products, mixes and dough can comprise atleast about 30% whole grain flour 134 within the flour constituent. Insome embodiments, whole grain baked products can comprise substantiallyall, or greater than about 90%, whole grain flour 134 within the flourconstituent. In some embodiments, whole grain flour 134 can be utilizedin conjunction with other suitable whole grain flour, such as, forexample, durum whole grain flour, or alternatively, with refined flour110.

Whole grain dough compositions comprised of whole grain flour 134, asdescribed herein, can be caused to expand (leaven) by any leaveningmechanism, such as, by one or more of the effects of: entrapped gas,such as, entrapped carbon dioxide, entrapped air, or both; a laminateddough structure; by action of chemical leavening agents; or by action ofa biological agent, such as, a yeast. Thus, a leavening agent may be anentrapped gas, such as, layers or cells (bubbles) that contain carbondioxide, water vapor, or air, etc., any type of yeast (e.g., cake yeast,cream yeast, dry yeast, etc.); or a chemical leavening system, e.g.,containing a basic chemical leavening agent and an acidic chemicalleavening agent that react to form a leavening gas, such as, carbondioxide.

Examples of acidic chemical leavening agents are generally known in thedough and baking arts, with examples including sodium aluminum phosphate(SALP), sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP), monosodium phosphate,monocalcium phosphate monohydrate (MCP), anhydrous monocalcium phosphate(AMCP), dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD), glucono-delta-lactone(GDL), as well as, a variety of others. Optionally, an acidic chemicalleavening agent for use according to the invention, can be encapsulated.

Examples of basic chemical leavening agents include many that aregenerally known in the dough and baking arts, such as, soda, i.e.,sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃), potassium bicarbonate (KHCO₃), ammoniumbicarbonate (NH₄HCO₃), etc. A basic chemical leavening agent may also beencapsulated, if desired.

The evolution of carbon dioxide essentially follows the stoichiometry oftypical acid-base reactions. The amount of leavening base presentdetermines the amount of carbon dioxide evolved, whereas the type ofleavening acid affects the speed at which the carbon dioxide isliberated. The amount of leavening base used in combination with theleavening acid can be balanced, such that a minimum of unchangedreactants remain in the finished product. An excess amount of leaveningbase can impart a bitter flavor to the final product, while excessleavening acid can make the baked product tart.

Yeast is also utilized for leavening baked goods, and is often preferredbecause of the desirable flavor it imparts to the dough. Baker's yeastis generally supplied in three forms: yeast cream, a thick suspensionwith about 17% solids; a moist press cake with about 30% solids; and anactive dry yeast, with about 93 to 98% solids. Generally, active dryyeasts of acceptable quality have been available for some time, andrecently instant active dry yeast has also been available for commercialuse.

The quantity of yeast added to dough is directly related to the timerequired for fermentation, and the form of the yeast utilized.Generally, most bread doughs are made with from about 2 to 3% freshcompressed yeast, based on the amount of flour.

Whole grain dough comprising whole grain flour 134 as described hereincan also contain additional functional ingredients. Some such additionalingredients can be used to modify the texture of the whole grain dough.Texture modifying agents can improve many properties of the dough, suchas, viscoelastic properties, plasticity, or dough development. Examplesof texture modifying agents include fats, emulsifiers, enzymes,hydrocolloids, and the like.

Shortening helps to improve the volume, grain and texture of the finalproduct. Shortening also has a tenderizing effect and improves overallpalatability and flavor of a baked good. Either natural shortenings,animal or vegetable, or synthetic shortenings can be used. Generally,shortening is comprised of triglycerides, fats and fatty oils madepredominantly of triesters of glycerol with fatty acids. Fats and fattyoils useful in producing shortening include cotton seed oil, ground nutoil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, sesame oil, olive oil,corn oil, safflower oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, orcombinations thereof.

Emulsifiers include nonionic, anionic, and/or cationic surfactants thatcan be used to influence the texture and homogeneity of a dough mixture,increase dough stability, improve eating quality, and prolongpalatability. Emulsifiers include compounds, such as, lecithin, mono-and diglycerides of fatty acids, propylene glycol mono- and diesters offatty acids, glyceryl-lacto esters of fatty acids, and ethoxylated mono-and diglycerides.

Hydrocolloids are added to dough formulations to increase moisturecontent, and to improve viscoelastic properties of the dough and thecrumb texture of the final product. Hydrocolloids function both bystabilizing small air cells within the batter and by binding to moisturewithin the dough. Hydrocolloids include compounds, such as, xanthan gum,guar gum, and locust bean gum.

Dough-developing agents can also be added to the system to increasedough viscosity, texture and plasticity. Any number of agents known tothose of skill in the art may be used including azodicarbonamide,diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono- and diglycerides (DATEM) andpotassium sorbate.

Another example of a dough-developing additive is PROTASE™. PROTASE™ isa proprietary product containing enzymes and other dough conditioners.PROTASE™ is generally used to reduce mixing time and improvemachinability. A double strength version, PROTASE 2X™, is commerciallyobtained from J. R. Short Milling Co. (Chicago, Ill.).

Dough conditioners are also examples of dough additives. One example ofa dough conditioner is NUBAKE™, commercially available from RIBUS (St.Louis, Mo.). Another example of a dough conditioner is L-cysteine,commercially available from B.F. Goodrich (Cincinnati, Ohio).

Dough can also frequently contain nutritional supplements, such as,vitamins, minerals and proteins, for example. Examples of specificnutritional supplements include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron,calcium, or mixtures thereof.

Dough can also include flavorings, such as, sweeteners, spices, andspecific flavorings, such as, bread or butter flavoring. Sweetenersinclude regular and high fructose corn syrup, sucrose (cane or beetsugar), and dextrose, as well a bake stable non-nutritive sweetenerssuch as sucralose, for example. In addition to flavoring the baked good,sweeteners, such as, sugar can increase the moisture retention of abaked good, thereby increasing its tenderness.

Dough can also include preservatives and mold inhibitors, such as,sodium salts of propionic or sorbic encapsulated acids, sodiumdiacetate, vinegar, monocalcium phosphate, lactic acid and mixturesthereof.

Preparation of whole grain products can be accomplished usingtraditional mixing methods to form a whole grain dough from whole grainflour 134. Generally, the whole grain flour 134 can be combined withvarious wet ingredients, such as, for example, water, oil, eggs andmilk, using traditional mixers and mixing methods. For example, wholegrain flour 134 can be combined with suitable wet ingredients using anystandard mixing technology, such as, for example, a standard horizontalbar mixer or a paddle mixer available from the Hobart Corporation ofTroy, Ohio.

Whole grain bread dough, as used herein, can comprise a variety offormulations wherein the flour portion of the bread dough can solelycomprise a single variety of whole grain flour 134 or can comprisevarious combinations of whole grain flour 134, such as, for example,whole grain wheat flour and whole grain durum flour.

Alternatively, refined flour 110 can also be combined with whole grainflour 134. In some embodiments, a whole grain bread dough can beclassified as a “Good Source,” wherein the whole grain bread dough isformulated so as to provide 8 grams of whole grain per serving(generally considered 2 slices or 50 grams of bread). In someembodiments, a whole grain bread dough can be classified as an“Excellent Source,” wherein the whole grain bread dough is formulated soas to provide 16 grams of whole grain per serving. In some embodiments,a whole grain bread dough can be classified as a “100% Whole Grain,”wherein the whole grain bread dough is formulated such that the flourportion of the bread dough solely comprises whole grain flour 134.

As the percentage of whole grain flour 134 increases in a bread dough,vital wheat gluten can be added in an effective amount so as to improvethe bake qualities of a whole grain bread including increasing the BakedSpecific Volume (BSV) of the whole grain bread. BSV is a term of art inthe industry that defines the inverse of density or fluffiness of abaked good, and is simply the volume of the baked product divided by itsweight. For bread products, BSV is frequently used as an objectivemeasurement for non-sliced or artisan breads. Generally, a baked good isconsidered to have an acceptable BSV when the baked good doubles in sizeduring baking from a raw dough to a baked dough product. Morespecifically, a traditionally accepted BSV for traditional white breadgenerally exceeds about 3.0 cc/g. As such, effective amounts of vitalwheat gluten for use with whole grain bread dough will achieve bakedwhole grain breads having a BSV exceeding about 3.0 cc/g. Adding vitalwheat gluten to a mixture comprising whole grain flour 134 compensatesfor whole grain baking characteristics, which can inhibit achievingdesired baked good characteristics. In addition to formulating wholegrain bread dough with an effective amount of vital wheat gluten,effective amounts of vital wheat gluten can be added to baking mixes,either complete mixes or concentrated mixes or premixes, such that auser experiences the same baking performance as traditional mixes ormixtures based upon refined flour 110.

In addition to use in the preparation of whole grain breads, whole grainflour 134 can be similarly employed for use in whole grain baking mixesfor preparing whole grain baked products. These whole grain mixes cancomprise a complete anhydrous mix requiring the addition of a liquid,such as, for example, water, oil, eggs and/or milk, or a concentrate mixrequiring additional bulk ingredients, as well as, liquid ingredients,at a time of preparation. A complete mix is generally considered a mixin which all of the dry ingredients necessary for preparing a dough arepresent in the mix, including the flour portion. A concentrate mix orpremix is generally considered a mix including one or more keyfunctional ingredients but still requiring addition of one or more bulkingredients. At time of use, bulk ingredients, such as, for example, abulk whole grain flour portion and/or vital wheat gluten can be added tothe concentrate mix or premix. Depending upon the application and theend user, representative whole grain baking mixes, including whole grainflour 134 can be provided at varying levels of completeness between theconcentrate mix and the complete mix.

Key functional ingredients can comprise one or more of doughconditioners, hydrocolloids, protein sources, oxidizers, moldinhibitors, salt, and nutrients blended with flour, used to providespecific attributes to a finished baked product. Representative doughconditioners can comprise DATEM, enzymes, sodium stearoyl lactylate andmonoglycerides. Representative hydrocolloids can comprise guar gum.Representative protein sources can comprise vital wheat gluten.Representative oxidizers can comprise ascorbic acid andazodicarbonamide. Representative mold inhibitors can comprise calciumpropionate. Representative whole grain baking premixes can compriseeffective amounts of functional ingredients, such as, for example, vitalwheat gluten, dough conditioners, emulsifiers, preservatives, salt,nutrients and the like, blended with whole grain flour other whole grainingredients.

Whole grain bread dough mixes, either complete mixes or concentratedmixes or premixes, can include functional ingredients such that wholegrain breads made from the mix and whole grain flour 134 achieve a BSVof at least about 2.5 cc/g and/or a slice height of at least about 4.0inches. Alternatively, other whole grain products based on whole grainflour 134 and milled whole grain mixes, either complete mixes orconcentrated mixes or premixes, can be specifically tailored to providedesirable characteristics to other baked products such as, for example,cookie spread for whole grain cookie mixes, slice height and cellstructure for whole grain cake mixes, spread and height for whole grainpancakes. Further characteristics that can be tailored can include, forexample, appropriate bake performance for other whole grain flour 134based mixes including pizza crust mixes, brownie mixes, muffin mixes andvariety baking mixes such as, for example, Bisquick® mix.

Exemplary Evaluations

Six different breads were formulated and prepared for visual comparisonby experienced observers. Three of the breads were formulated usingwhole grain flour 134 while the remaining three breads were used as testcontrols and did not undergo milling recombination process 132. Thebread types used for testing were as listed in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Sample Bread Description Bread Number Bread Description VisualDescription 1 Bread formulated with Pale color with small red recombinedred whole wheat particulates visible milled according to millingrecombination process 132. 2 Bread formulated with Tan color with smallrecombined white whole wheat particulates visible milled according tomilling recombination process 132. 3 Bread formulated with Yellow colorwith small recombined durum whole grain particulates visible milledaccording to milling recombination process 132. 4 White bread formulatedwith White bleached and refined flour milled according to conventionalmilling operation 108. 5 Bread formulated with finely Yellow color withno ground durum whole grain visually identifiable including finelyground bran particulates and germ particulates. 6 White wheat ultra finebread Tan color with no visually formulated with finely groundidentifiable particulates whole wheat including finely ground bran andgerm particulates.

Experienced observers viewed and rated the sample breads based onappearance characteristics including: Overall Appearance, Color andAmount of Visible Particulate Flecks. In addition, consumers were askedto consider how each bread sample fit the concept of a visuallyappealing whole grain bread, whether they were likely to purchase thesample breads and whether or not they felt their children would eat thesample breads. Results of the experienced observer consumer rankings aresummarized in Table 3.

TABLE 3 Visual Ratings Bread Bread Bread Bread Bread BreadCharacteristic 1 2 3 4 5 6 Like Overall Appearance 7.0 6.3 6.3 6.1 5.95.3 0(least)-9 (most) Like Color 6.8 6.2 6.2 6.1 5.8 5.2 0(least)-9(most) Color Rating 4.4 4.0 4.0 1.8 2.9 3.6 0(light)-7 (dark) Likedamount of grain 6.5 5.8 5.6 5.1 5.3 4.8 flecks 0 (disliked)-9 (liked)Amount of grain flecks 5.2 3.2 3.1 1.6 2.2 2.5 0 (none)-7 (many) ConceptFit 3.7 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.2 0 (poor)-5 (good) Purchase Intent After 3.53.3 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.0 Visual 0 (no intent)-5 (intend to purchase) ChildrenWould Eat 4.7 4.8 4.8 5.0 4.7 4.6 0 (would not eat)-5 (would eat)

Experienced observer responses indicated that the reviewers did perceivevisual distinctions among the bread samples. The recombined red wholewheat bread (Sample 1) having red wheat milled using millingrecombination process 132 was liked best for overall appearance, colorand amount of grain fleck liking. For concept fit and purchase intentafter visual, the recombined red whole wheat bread received higherratings than the recombined white whole wheat bread (Sample 2) and therecombined durum whole wheat bread (Sample 3) and had significantlyhigher ratings than the remaining bread samples. The white wheat ultrafine bread was liked consistently less than the other whole grainbreads. As indicated in the consumer testing, milling recombinationprocess 132 can be used successfully to recombine whole wheat flourhaving bran and germ milled within a desirable particle size range so asto prepare visually acceptable whole grain baked products. Milling branand germ to a desirable particle size range was more visually acceptablethan flour having the bran and germ milled to ultra fine particle sizes.

Although various embodiments of the present invention have beendisclosed here for purposes of illustration, it should be understoodthat a variety of changes, modifications and substitutions may beincorporated without departing from either the spirit or scope of thepresent invention.

1. A method for making a visually appealing whole grain productcomprising: providing recombined whole grain flour having individuallymilled portions of endosperm, bran and germ, the bran having a branparticle size from about 0.006 inches to about 0.017 inches; and mixingsaid recombined whole grain flour with at least one wet ingredient toform a recombined whole grain dough mixture; and baking said whole graindough mixture wherein the bran is visually indistinguishable by anunassisted eye.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bran particle sizeis from about 0.007 inches to about 0.015 inches.
 3. The method of claim1, wherein the germ is milled to a germ particle size from about 0.006inches to about 0.017 inches.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the germparticle size is from about 0.007 inches to about 0.015 inches.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: fortifying the recombined wholegrain flour through the addition of one or more of bran and germ suchthat the amount of bran or germ exceeds an amount found in a grainkernel.
 6. A method for preparing a flour composition comprising:separating a grain kernel having an endosperm portion; a bran portionand a germ portion of a grain kernel; milling the bran portion to have abran particle size from about 0.006 inches to about 0.017 inches; andrecombining the endosperm portion, the bran portion and the germ portionto form the recombined whole grain flour, wherein the bran portion andthe germ portion are visually indistinguishable to an unassisted eyefrom the endosperm portion.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the branparticle size is from about 0.007 inches to about 0.015 inches.
 8. Themethod of claim 6, further comprising: milling the germ portion to havea germ particle size from about 0.006 inches to about 0.017 inches. 9.The method of claim 8, wherein the germ particle size is from about0.007 inches to about 0.015 inches.
 10. The method of claim 6, whereinrecombining the endosperm portion, bran portion and germ portioncomprises recombining one or more of the bran portion or germ portion inan amount exceeding an original weight percent of the bran portion orgerm portion present in the grain kernel to form a fortified whole grainflour.
 11. The method of claim 6, wherein the grain kernel comprises agrain selected from the group consisting of: wheat, amaranth, barley,buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, sorghum, teff,triticale and wild rice.
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